1. (v. t.) To hold or keep in any particular state or condition\; to support; to sustain; to uphold; to keep up; not to suffer to fail or decline; as, to maintain a certain degree of heat in a furnace; to maintain a fence or a railroad; to maintain the digestive process or powers of the stomach; to maintain the fertility of soil; to maintain present reputation.

2. (v. t.) To keep possession of; to hold and defend; not to surrender or relinquish.

3. (v. t.) To continue; not to suffer to cease or fail.

4. (v. t.) To bear the expense of; to support; to keep up; to supply with what is needed.

5. (v. t.) To affirm; to support or defend by argument.

abide accommodate account as advocate affirm afford afford support allege allege in support announce annunciate answer argue argue for assert assever asseverate assume aver avouch avow back back up be afraid bear bear out bear up bide blow to bolster bolster up bottle up brace brook no denial buoy up buttress care for carry carry on champion claim clothe conceive conserve consider contend contend for continue continue to be contribute copyright cork up correct counter cradle crutch cultivate cushion daresay declare deem defeat time defend defy time donate dwell emphasize endow endure enunciate espouse esteem estimate exist expect express extend fancy fight for fill fill up finance find fund furnish give give support go on go treat guard guess have have a hunch have an idea have an impression have an inkling have the idea hold hold as hold in hold on hold out hold up husband imagine inhibit insist insist on insist upon invest issue a manifesto judge justify keep keep afloat keep alive keep going keep in keep intact keep inviolate keep on keep safe keep up last last long last out lay down lend support lengthen live live on live through lock in look after look upon as mainstay make a plea make available make provision for manage manifesto not destroy not endanger not expend not use up not waste nurture opine patent pay the bill perdure perennate perpetuate persist persist in pillow plead for predicate prepare present preserve press presume prevail proclaim profess prolong pronounce prop prop up protect protest protract provide provide for put put it rebut reckon recruit rectify refute regard register reinforce remain replenish reply repress respond retain right riposte run run on save save up say say in defense set down set down as set up shore shore up shoulder spare speak speak for speak out speak up speak up for stand stand by stand drinks stand for stand on stand to stand treat stand up for state stay stay on stick to stick up for stock store stress submit subsidize subsist subvention subventionize supply support suppose suppress surmise survive suspect sustain take take care of take for take it take no denial tarry testify think tide over treat treat to trow underbrace undergird